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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Judgement calls vs "railroading"
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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7051621" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>More or less, (a) the machinery of play is transparent and fully on display and (b) play has overt structure and integrated micro-principles. Through this, play outcomes emerge.</p><p> </p><p>Both (a) and (b) serve to constrain the GM (typically by removing the option of applying Force/Illusionism...while, if systematized well, removing the need for it).</p><p> </p><p>The inverse of that is (c) the machinery of play is obscured or opaque and (d) play has GM discretion and a broad agenda in the stead of tight, overt structure and integrated micro-principles. Through this, play outcomes emerge.</p><p> </p><p>Both (c) and (d) serve to embolden/empower the GM (in various ways, one of which is by enabling the option of applying the techniques of Force/Illusionism).</p><p> </p><p>An example of (a) and (b) would be Dungeon World [MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] mentioned above:</p><p> </p><p>* The GM asks leading questions of the players to find out who the PCs are and to agree upon what is going on as the game opens.</p><p> </p><p>* Everyone, GM included, plays to find out what happens (so prep is to be light - no metaplot).</p><p> </p><p>* The GM must follow the rules.</p><p> </p><p>* Players roll all the dice.</p><p> </p><p>* The participants have a structured conversation. Through that conversation, the game's principles/agenda, and the resolution mechanics, dangerous stuff is introduced into the fiction to fill the PCs' lives with adventure and challenge their thematic portfolio. </p><p> </p><p>* The resolution mechanics are overt and consistent. A thing happens, a thing doesn't happen, or we consult the dice to find out what happens. Roll 2d6 + modifier. 10+; you get what you want. 7-9; you get what you want with a worse outcome, a cost, or an associated hard choice (a GM soft move). 6 or less; the GM escalates things considerably or introduces a new obstacle (a GM hard move), but you mark 1 XP.</p><p> </p><p>* Through this mesh, play snowballs.</p><p> </p><p>* After a session, we reflect on/take inventory of what happened together. Then we do it again.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 7051621, member: 6696971"] More or less, (a) the machinery of play is transparent and fully on display and (b) play has overt structure and integrated micro-principles. Through this, play outcomes emerge. Both (a) and (b) serve to constrain the GM (typically by removing the option of applying Force/Illusionism...while, if systematized well, removing the need for it). The inverse of that is (c) the machinery of play is obscured or opaque and (d) play has GM discretion and a broad agenda in the stead of tight, overt structure and integrated micro-principles. Through this, play outcomes emerge. Both (c) and (d) serve to embolden/empower the GM (in various ways, one of which is by enabling the option of applying the techniques of Force/Illusionism). An example of (a) and (b) would be Dungeon World [MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] mentioned above: * The GM asks leading questions of the players to find out who the PCs are and to agree upon what is going on as the game opens. * Everyone, GM included, plays to find out what happens (so prep is to be light - no metaplot). * The GM must follow the rules. * Players roll all the dice. * The participants have a structured conversation. Through that conversation, the game's principles/agenda, and the resolution mechanics, dangerous stuff is introduced into the fiction to fill the PCs' lives with adventure and challenge their thematic portfolio. * The resolution mechanics are overt and consistent. A thing happens, a thing doesn't happen, or we consult the dice to find out what happens. Roll 2d6 + modifier. 10+; you get what you want. 7-9; you get what you want with a worse outcome, a cost, or an associated hard choice (a GM soft move). 6 or less; the GM escalates things considerably or introduces a new obstacle (a GM hard move), but you mark 1 XP. * Through this mesh, play snowballs. * After a session, we reflect on/take inventory of what happened together. Then we do it again. [/QUOTE]
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